Vision

Swiss tourism is currently enjoying great prosperity across the country. Strong margins are being achieved by both the leading lights with international reach and smaller choice tourism providers, thereby securing powers for renewal.

 

Jean-François Roth, how would you sum up 2018 for Swiss Tourism?

In a nutshell: evolution is gathering pace. This applies to many aspects of the sector, including the initiatives and offers that provide customer with added value, the introduction of new price models and the increased convenience of products, as well as the growing significance of authentic experiences for travellers.

2018 was a year full of changes for the tourism sector. As a national marketing organisation, our vision is to anticipate these changes and use them to the sector’s advantage. This means that all tourist service suppliers – whether large or small – can put their own innovations to use. This ultimately ensures that tourism benefits the entire country – the Alps as well as peripheral locations.

How does Switzerland Tourism ST help sectors adapt to the increasing pace of change?

Using data about the habits and expectations of our guests is vitally important. The findings of the latest Tourism Monitor Switzerland (TMS 2017) allow us to recognise important trends, for example. By combining this data with an analysis of external factors, we can establish an important foundation for developing new tourism products. I would like to cite two examples here that indicate how ST plays a role in increasing the value of Swiss tourism offers and how data can be put to good use: The launch of the first autumn campaign, which was inspired by the our reliable autumn weather, and the creation of Taste my Swiss City. A product that satisfies the desire to discover cities from a local’s perspective.

How does ST help the sector implement innovations?

Our tourism and business partners are indispensable when it comes to implementing new offers and products. The capacity for innovation at ST is closely linked to their support. Stopover Switzerland, initiated by the Switzerland Tourism Council in 2018 for international guests, is an excellent example of the collaboration between SWISS, Switzerland Travel Centre (STC), Swiss Travel System (STS) and ST.